David Middleton's 2025 NRL Team of the Year

To celebrate the release of the 2025 Official Rugby League Annual, historian David Middleton has picked his 2025 NRL Team of the Year.

Order your copy of the 2025 Official Rugby League Annual HERE

2025 TEAM OF THE YEAR 

1. REECE WALSH (Broncos) 
2. MARK NAWAQANITAWASE (Roosters) 
3. HERBIE FARNWORTH (Dolphins) 
4. STEPHEN CRICHTON (Bulldogs) 
5. XAVIER COATES (Storm) 
6. CAMERON MUNSTER (Storm) 
7. NATHAN CLEARY (Panthers) 
8. PAYNE HAAS (Broncos) 
9. HARRY GRANT (Storm)
10. JOSEPH TAPINE (Raiders) 
11. HUDSON YOUNG (Raiders) 
12. ELIESA KATOA (Storm) 
13. ERIN CLARK (Warriors) 

Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth was an exception in our Team of the Year for 2025. The English ace is the only player in our line-up who did not feature in the NRL Finals Series. 

There is every chance, however that if Farnworth had not torn his hamstring in his team’s Round 22 match against the Warriors that the Dolphins would have played finals football for the first time. It was a shattering blow for Farnworth and his club after they had proven themselves the sharpest attacking team in the competition. 

Farnworth’s centre partner in our team, Stephen Crichton also suffered injury at an inopportune time in 2025 after helping steer the Bulldogs into the top four for the first time since 2012.

After producing some magnificent football during the season, Crichton injured his ankle in his team’s qualifying final clash with the Storm in Melbourne and was unable to back up in a semi-final against the Panthers the following week. 

Farnworth and Crichton remained at the top of their games in 2025 and are included in the Team of the Year for the third year running. 

Fullback Reece Walsh dethroned James Tedesco as Fullback of the Year in our team after his phenomenal finish to the season. He was undoubtedly the player of the Finals Series, was named winner of the Clive Churchill Medal and carried his stellar form into the Ashes series in England. 

Wingers Mark Nawaqanitawase and Xavier Coates were unrivalled in their positions in 2025, Nawaqanitawase showcasing breathtaking skills on a weekly basis and scoring what most agreed was the Try of the Year against the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium, while Coates continued to dominate the air and was all class for the Storm (scoring 20 tries) and the Maroons in their shock Origin series victory. 

Cameron Munster’s form for the Storm during the finals and his performances for the Maroons and Kangaroos gave him a narrow edge over Canberra No.6 and Dally M Five-eighth of the Year Ethan Strange while Nathan Cleary did enough to resist the challenge of Tom Dearden for Halfback of the Year. 

Forwards Joseph Tapine (Raiders and Kiwis), Harry Grant (Storm and Kangaroos), Hudson Young (Raiders and Kangaroos) and Erin Clark (Warriors and Kiwis) turned outstanding club form into international success while Payne Haas (Broncos and Samoa) and Eliesa Katoa (Storm and Tonga) were high achievers for club and country.